Child Of War
by Jess.91
Summary: Hogwarts answers the questions of those who ask. Teddy Lupin is a child of war, and he has many questions.
1. Cold Glass Surface

Well I started writing this when I started writing Rain, but after three chapters I got blocked. Anyway, it was on the other computer, and that was unplugged and moved, and until I could get to it I couldn't get the story back. Anyway, I still only have three chapters, but I like the story, and figured having it posted would motivate me. It's more like a series of one-shots, I suppose, but they are connected.

Child of War

Summary: Hogwarts answers the questions of those who ask. Teddy Lupin is a child of war, and he has many questions.

Chapter One - Cold Glass Surface

_"But Grandma..." Four year old Teddy struggled to find the words. "Why did my parents have to die to make the world better? Were they bad people?"_

_Andromeda saw his wide eyed fear and reassured him quickly. "No, no, Teddy, they were great people." She pulled him onto her knee, realising that, in all her efforts, and Harry's efforts, to explain just why the boy was an orphan, they had confused him. "You see, they didn't have to die for the world to be better. That's not what we mean."_

_Teddy remained silent, looking into her grey eyes, so trustingly it scared her, and waiting. _

_"They died fighting, Ted, you know that, don't you?" He nodded. "They were fighting to make the world better, fighting to make a safe place for you to grow up in, to live in."_

_"But why did they have to die?" His young, innocent mind didn't understand, and she didn't know how to explain it to him. Didn't understand it herself._

_"They didn't." She told him finally. "The world would have been just a good - better, even - with them in it. Don't ever think they were bad, okay?"_

_He nodded again, in the naive, trusting way children do. _

_"They loved you, very much, Teddy. Remember that."_

_He still didn't understand, didn't truly comprehend why they were no longer with him, and somewhere amidst the confusion was doubt...If they loved him, surely they'd never have left him..._

They'd often said he was like his parents. That he had their caring, loving nature. They said he got his clumsiness from his mum, as well as her metamorphamagus abilities. They said he was more like his mother, yet sometimes acted like his dad.

He didn't know if they were lying or not. He didn't know his parents.

Teddy had been at Hogwarts for a month now, and mostly knew his way around. And yet, the castle was still so new to him, so unfamiliar, but it was already a home, a place he was happy and accepted.

It was also the place his parents had died. The doors to the magnificent castle had been the last ones they'd passed through alive. The dirt and grass of the lawns had been the last thing they'd ran upon. The scent of the trees, the lake, mingled in the air, had been the last scent to reach them.

He'd been afraid to come here. Afraid that he'd be tormented by the images of their deaths - somehow, he'd thought that being here would give him memories he didn't posses - afraid that he'd see marks on the ground of where they'd landed.

He hadn't, of course. And he'd accepted that, really, being here didn't make their deaths more real. In actuality, here, if he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could pretend he had parents at home, who would write to him, who missed him, who were counting down the days till Christmas when he would return to them.

Not tonight, though. He didn't want to pretend. He didn't want to sleep. He wanted to wonder the castle as his father had done, to find hidden passages and the secrets of the castle.

It was dark, but he didn't mind the dark, and it made it easier to keep to the shadows. He didn't have any idea where he was heading, randomly choosing corridors, going up and down stairs if his instincts told him to, and hoping that he wouldn't get completely lost. Or end up in a teacher's bedroom. Not only would it be disturbing, it would be extremely hard to explain.

He never knew what made him stop at the particular door, other than that it seemed so unfamiliar, so unused, almost as if it had formed there for him, and only him.

He reached for the handle, unsurprised when it turned easily, when the door opened without a single creak. Of course the door opened; the room wanted him to see what it contained, wanted to share its secrets with him.

There was only one window in the room, a small, perfectly round one, letting in the moonlight, which conveniently illuminated the only thing the room held. Teddy smiled wryly at the set up, the object perfectly circled by the moonlight, glinting and beckoning him.

Teddy moved forward, idly thinking it was overly cliché to set the room up in this way. Then his thoughts ended, because he caught sight of the etchings on the top of the mirror.

He knew this mirror. He had been told of it, told of what it did. He knew what it had shown his godfather, a lifetime ago. And Teddy knew what it would show him.

He stepped closer, closer, until his reflection was clear. And, just as he'd known they would, two people stepped forward, one on either side of his reflection.

The man was gazing at him in wonder, the women's gaze was searching him, as though determined to etch him into her mind for all eternity. Teddy looked at them for several long seconds, recognising them and yet seeing them for the first time, knowing them and yet knowing they were little more than strangers.

And then, he asked the question he'd wanted to ask for years, for as long as he could remember, the question that had burned his mind and ached his little heart.

"Did you love me?" He whispered.

It was almost as if they'd heard him, but they weren't real, Teddy knew, and so they couldn't. Harry had explained the mirror, explained that it showed only the heart's desire, not reality of truth.

But Teddy could have sworn they heard him. His father tilted his head, looked at him with an almost guilty expression, and placed his arm around the shoulder of the reflection of Teddy. His mother's eyes filled with tears, but she smiled at him as she crouched down, looped her arm around the reflection's waist in a kind of hug.

He saw it. He saw his answer; he saw their love.

He wasn't crying. Maybe he ought to have been, in that moment when he was looking at what he could have had, the parental love he'd missed out on, the family he should have belonged to. But his eyes were dry.

He lifted a hand, slowly, and touched it to the surface of the mirror. She'd known he was going to, his mum, as she'd lifted her own hand, too. They met, their flattened palms pressed against either side of the glass.

And Teddy closed his eyes tightly and tried to pretend that he could feel the warmth of life against his palm, feel soft skin. But instead, he felt the cold, hard surface of the glass beneath his hand.

He opened his eyes, and looked into his mother's, who was regarding him sadly. She knew, thought Teddy, that he was waiting for the glass to warm beneath his touch to make it easier to pretend. But the glass refused to heat, remained cold and impersonal, taunting him.

_They're not real. They don't exist. _

He withdrew his hand quickly, suddenly, and his mum lowered her own, slowly and sadly. Teddy looked up at his father, who gave a tiny nod as though to say he understood.

"It isn't fair." Teddy murmured, looking at the way they stood, protective of his mirror-image, loving. He shook his head, backed from the room, and pulled the door closed behind him. He'd wanted to feel, just once, his mother's touch.

Instead, he'd found a cold glass surface.

But he didn't cry, didn't come close to doing so, for he'd found his answer. He'd asked them the most important question, and had been answered.

He no longer pretended, no longer tried to manipulate his dreams into showing them, no longer strained his memory for some tiny echo of them.

Because they loved him, and although it wasn't enough, it was all he had and he could live with it.

_He never sought the mirror again; he didn't need to look at it twice._


	2. You, Only You

Big thanks for the response on this.

Chapter 2 - You, Only You

_Ten year old Teddy Lupin closed the book, and looked down at the simple red cover, gold letters proclaiming the title: _Harry Potter: The Truth. _It had taken him ages to read the book, and he'd had to consult a dictionary several times, but he'd finally completed it._

_He knew it had taken Hermione ages to convince Harry to let her write the book, and he knew Harry had only given in because of the ridiculous amount of other books that had been published, all proclaiming to tell Harry's story; all full of rumours and half-truths that infuriated Harry. This was the only one Teddy's godfather had authorised himself, the only one containing direct quotes, and the only one to tell the truth, because Hermione, of course, was involved in the entire affair, and knew exactly what happened. _

_It had sold out within days; reprints were still in great demand, over three weeks after its release. The thick book told the facts of Harry's story, from the prophecy that kicked it all off, right to the final battle. The critics suggested the text seemed detached and impersonal, with little emotion in to it, and Harry's actions downplayed. One particular vicious review announced that Hermione was trying to make herself and Ron more important than they really were._

_Harry had given a rare interview after that review, stating in no uncertain terms that he'd made Hermione write the facts and only the facts, and that nothing in the book was exaggerated. He told them that Hermione and Ron - and other, many others - were just as important in the victory as he was._

_Teddy traced the title with his index finger, ever so slightly upset, because obviously his godfather was brave and smart and great, and Harry said that Teddy's parents were brave and smart and great, and Teddy knew that everyone would expect him to be brave and smart and great, and Teddy didn't think he could be._

Teddy's teachers were alternately extremely proud and amazed by him, and extremely angry and unsure what to do about him.

Teddy Lupin was a walking contradiction. He'd mess around in class, making jokes and amusing comments, playing pranks and sneaking around the castle. He was well liked.

And while his teachers didn't understand how on earth he could learn anything in class, not when he was never paying attention, he always managed decent marks in his homework, and always seemed to master spells effortlessly. He was an object of envy.

Despite his laid-back attitude, he could often been seen on the Quidditch pitch, racing up and down, trying complex manouvers and telling anyone who asked that he hoped to join the Quidditch team as soon as a position opened. When they asked what place he wanted, he'd reply that he would take any, could play any. Many thought that he was over-confident.

In truth, he wasn't. He didn't really think he was any good at Quidditch, and that was why he had to practice so hard. He wasn't really that smart, and that was why he'd spend half the night studying.

He was sick of wondering around the castle, now the term was almost up, but felt that if he didn't, if he didn't keep getting caught, people would realise that, actually, he wasn't that funny.

"Teddy? Teddy? Lupin!" Neville's voice jerked him awake, and Teddy realised, with slight embarrassment, that he'd fallen asleep. "Sorry to wake you." Neville said, rolling his eyes.

"'S'OK." Teddy said instantly, stretching and yawning. "Nap-time's over."

Neville looked at him silently, as the class sniggered. He let the boy get away with more than he should, really, but that's what happened when you watched someone grow up, when you baby-sat them and bought them birthday presents. He may have ignored the comment and gone back to his teaching, had he not seen the dark shadows under Teddy's eyes, had he not been told, only that morning, by another professor that Teddy had previously fallen asleep in _her_ class, too.

"Lupin, I'd like to see you after class, please." Neville said finally. Teddy sighed and nodded, and forced himself to stay awake for the rest of the class. After the bell, while the other students filed out, Teddy made his way to Neville's desk.

Neville sat down, then looked at Teddy carefully.

"Trouble sleeping?" He asked, and Teddy shook his head.

"Nope, sir."

"You look tired, Ted." Neville told him gently. "You've been falling asleep in other lessons. What is it, what's wrong?"

Teddy hesitated, then decided that the truth was most likely to get him out of here. If he was much later to lunch, he wouldn't have time to shoot up to his dorm and read up on what they'd covered this lesson.

"Don't have much time to sleep. I'm busy."

"Doing what?" Neville asked, genuinely curious.

Teddy shrugged, but when Neville simply waited, he checked his watch and sighed.

"Can I go?"

"Lunch can wait. There's plenty of time."

"No there isn't!" Teddy snapped. "Look, after I eat, I have to go study a bit, OK? So just let me go -"

"Teddy." Neville said softly, and Teddy silenced. "Is that why you don't have time to sleep? Busy studying?" Teddy sighed pointedly and looked at his watch. "Not just studying." Neville guessed. "Wondering around the castle, too. Why? You must know the place pretty well by now. And if you didn't mess around in class, you wouldn't have to study so hard."

"Look, Neville." Teddy said flatly. "You don't understand, you can't. So just leave me alone."

Teddy made to turn and leave; Neville grabbed his sleeve to stop him.

"Why's it so important, Teddy, to wonder around the castle? You know, some of the teachers say it's almost like you want to be caught?" Teddy remained silent, glaring moodily at Neville. "Why's it important that you cause trouble, that everyone thinks you're funny? You're not like this at home. Sure, you like to joke, but not like this."

Teddy glared some more, then spoke quietly, without deciding to do so.

"People expect me to. My dad used to sneak around the castle, and my mum messed around. But they both did OK in their lessons. And - and everyone says my dad was a really great teacher. He was smart. I have to be, too." His voice had risen slightly, and a touch of anger had entered his tone. "My mum made people laugh, she was always joking and happy, grandma says. I...They say I'm like her. And - and everyone thinks that 'cause Harry and everyone are so good at Quidditch, I have to be too. So I will be, I'll make myself good at flying, and I'll keep studying so I get good marks, and I'll make everyone think I'm funny -"

He fell silent, suddenly embarrassed. Neville sighed.

"You don't have to do any of that, Teddy."

"I do."

"No, you don't. You don't have to be like your parents, or like Harry." Neville told him flatly. "You just have to be you."

Teddy glared at him. "I have to live up to them." He argued.

"No, you don't." Neville told him firmly. "The only name you have to live up to Teddy Lupin. You don't have be anyone else, live up to anyone else."

Teddy looked at him, considering.

"Don't try to be other people, Ted. Just make whatever you want out of your name, and be whoever you want." Neville smiled. "Just be you, it doesn't matter if it's good enough for other people."

"And what if I don't like being me?" Teddy challenged, causing Neville to laugh.

"Tell you what, Lupin. Give it - I don't know - a week? Just a week of being you, and acting like you, and getting a decent night's sleep. At the end of the week, you can decide how you want to live, OK?"

Teddy thought about it, then finally nodded.

"OK. Sure. A week."

He never did figure out how Neville had talked him into it.

--

A week later, Teddy Lupin sat in his Herbology class, wide awake.

The last week had been one of his best. No longer half asleep, he found it easier to concentrate in his lessons, and to make the odd smart remark.

And, to his surprise and delight, no one had told him he was boring or stupid or anything. No one had behaved any different towards him.

He flashed Neville a smile as he exited the room, and a look that silently told him he'd been right.

Neville sat back down at his desk and smiled.

_The only person you have to be is you._


	3. The Things You Can't Have

Thanks, again, for all the response on this.

Chapter 3 - The Things You Can't Have

_"The Resurrection Stone?" Teddy repeated, wide eyed._

_"Yes." Harry nodded. "And so I turned it over, three times, and...and they came."_

_Harry looked like he wanted to finish the story there, but seven year old Teddy fixed him with a look. "Who came?"_

_"My parents." Harry told him. "Sirius. And...your dad."_

_"My dad..." Teddy murmured. "So if I ever found the stone -"_

_"You won't, Ted." Harry told him. "I dropped it, I don't even know where. By now it'll be buried."_

_"But if I found it -" Teddy persisted._

_"I don't think it would work. It only worked for me because I was ready to die. You - you're not. It wouldn't work, Teddy, and I don't want you to go looking for it, OK?"_

_"OK." Teddy sighed._

_"Promise me?" Harry added, and Teddy looked up at him, opened his mouth..._

_Ginny walked into the room, and Teddy never promised._

He dreamt of the stone, one Friday night. Dreamt of turning it over in his hands, of them coming to him.

He didn't often dwell on his parents, of course. He didn't remember them, and although he wondered about them, he'd accepted that he was an orphan.

Still, in his dream, he heard his father's voice, his mother's laugh. And when he awoke, he filled with jealousy, because Harry had really seen and heard his parents, and Teddy never would.

It was dawn, and Teddy couldn't help but wonder if Harry was wrong. If the stone wasn't buried, but waiting for him, protected from the weather and the animals and time, waiting for another orphan to seek answers.

He just wanted to hear them. He'd seen them, in the mirror, but he wanted to hear them. Just once, and then he could stop wondering, and stop dreaming about them.

Before he was aware of making up his mind, he'd dressed himself, washed, and was slipping out of the castle. It was cold out here, but Teddy didn't care, convinced that it wouldn't take long to find the stone, convinced that it would be waiting for him, probably illuminated as the mirror had been, or glinting in the sunlight, calling to him...

He ran into the forest, and tried to remember where exactly Harry had been. Near the spider's lair, he'd said, but Teddy didn't know where that was. He started off uncertainly, deciding to trust his instincts. The stone would call to him. He was sure.

He searched, going as deep into the forest as he dared, before turning direction and searching in another place, his frustration mounting and his certainty falling.

He couldn't find it.

He'd been so sure, so certain, and yet it wasn't here. He was cold, and he was hungry, and he couldn't see it anywhere.

With an annoyed sound, somewhere between and scream and a growl, he turned around and stormed out of the forest. The wrong way.

It took him another half hour to find his way out of the place, empty handed, still cold and hungry, as well as miserable.

"What's up, Teddy?" One of his friends asked as he joined the late breakfast crowd. Teddy shook his head, and filled his plate, annoyed to find his appetite fading. He forced down some food anyway, then escaped to his dorm.

Right then, he hated Harry, because Harry had held the resurrection stone, used it, then lost it.

--

Teddy climbed of the Hogwarts express, scanning the crowd for a familiar face. It didn't take him long to spot his grandmother, with Harry beside her, waving to him. He made it way towards them, allowed his grandmother to hug him tightly, and ignored Harry.

"Well, how was it Teddy?" Harry asked brightly. Teddy shrugged, without looking.

"Can we just go? I'm tired." Teddy said to his grandmother, who exchanged glances with Harry.

"Of course." Andromeda nodded. "Ah...Say goodbye to Harry then."

"Bye." Teddy muttered, without looking at Harry.

"Bye." Harry echoed, bewildered and a little hurt. "We'll come see you tomorrow."

Teddy didn't reply.

--

A day later, he sat in silence in the Potter home, ignoring everyone around him. Even little Lily, who he normally doted on, received none of his attention.

"Is he OK?" Ginny asked worriedly. "Did something happen at school?"

"I don't know." Andromeda replied. "He was a bit quiet this morning, but he seemed OK. Wouldn't we have been told if something had happened at school?"

"Yes. We would have." Harry said firmly. When Ginny turned her gaze on him, he half shrugged. "I asked Neville to keep an eye on him."

"Well there can't have been anything, then." Ginny replied, confident in Neville. "Go talk to him."

Harry sighed a little, then walked over to the sofa. "Hey, Ted."

Teddy remained silent.

"Are you OK?"

Teddy didn't speak.

"Teddy, if something's wrong, you can tell me, you know. I swear I won't get mad or -"

"You've got no reason to be mad!" Teddy snapped. "_I _haven't done anything wrong."

Harry blinked, considered, and tried again. "Have I done something to upset you?" He asked.

Teddy held his gaze for a moment, then looked down at the floor. "I couldn't find it." He muttered. "I looked for it for hours, but I couldn't find it, and it's your fault. If you hadn't dropped it, if you'd kept it for me, then I could have used it. Just once. I just wanted to use it once. Just to meet them..."

Harry blinked again, thoroughly confused. "Ah...Teddy...Couldn't find what?"

"The resurrection stone." Teddy muttered. "I just wanted to meet them once, but _you_ lost it."

Harry felt his heart break just a little bit right then.

"Teddy...I told you before that you wouldn't be able to find it. They...they don't belong here anymore, not with us. They're not meant to come back -"

"Easy for you to say!" Teddy cried, jumping to his feet. "You met your parents! I don't even know them, Harry! I don't know my own parents, they're not even real people to me!"

He ran from the room. Harry stood; Ginny placed her hand on his arm. "No. He hates you right now. Let me go."

She followed Teddy, leaving Harry stunned.

She caught up with him, and simply hugged him tightly. The young boy hesitated, then hugged her back. "I just wanted to meet them once." He whispered. "Just so I knew them. I don't even properly miss them, Ginny, 'cause I don't know what they're like."

"I know, I know, and it sucks." Ginny murmured. "I'm sorry Teddy. I'm really sorry."

They stayed like that for a long time, before she finally released him. She crouched down, leaned back on her heels, and looked directly into his eyes.

"You're mad at Harry for losing the stone?"

Teddy nodded, sniffed. "He could have kept it for me. He knew I was an orphan. He could have kept it, just so I could meet them."

"They only came, Teddy, because he was going to die. Remember the story? They came to take him."

"When...when I die...will they come for me?" He asked her, and she nodded, hugged him again.

"They're always with you, Ted." After a pause, she added, "It's not really Harry's fault, though, is it?"

"Guess not." He murmured. And when the two of them walked back into the room, when Harry started to apologise, Teddy shook his head.

"It's OK. It's not really your fault." He muttered.

Still, he'd have liked to meet them, just once. And it took him a while to truly forgive Harry one hundred per cent for losing the stone.

_No matter how much you want them, there are some things in this world you just can't have._


	4. Give 'Em Hell, Kid

Yay, an update. May not be all that awesome, but it's an update and I kinda like it. Thanks for the response on this.

4. Give 'Em Hell, Kid

"_So your dad would have to go into the Shrieking Shack." Ron told him. Teddy was really, really tired, but he wanted to hear the story. "And that's where he'd transform."_

"_Into a werewolf?" Teddy asked, wide-eyed._

"_Yep. And Harry's dad, and Sirius, and – and Wormtail, they would transform – remember how Harry told you they were all animagus? – and they'd go wondering all over the castle, and the grounds, and even Hogsmeade."_

"_And they never got caught?" Teddy asked incrediously. In a world where he couldn't even sneak a biscuit without someone catching him, this seemed amazing._

"_Never. Anyways, all those years later, that's how me and Harry and Hermione found out about Wormtail, and everything. Because Sirius – in his dog form - attacked me, and dragged me down the passage, into the shack. I fought him, of course, but he was a big dog, and strong, too. Broke my leg, I did, trying to escape. But he dragged me down, and -"_

_Teddy curled up against his almost-Uncle, and listened to the story, smiling every once in a while when he knew Ron was exaggerating. No one told a story quite like Ron Weasley._

"Go on. Dare you." The boy said. "Right to the trunk."

The other boy – the one he'd spoken to – nodded. "All right then. But I want the whole five galleons right away. No making me wait around again."

"Look, it's all right here." The first boy replied, pulled five golden coins from his pocket. "But you have to actually touch it."

"Can do." The second boy moved forward slowly; the tree swayed, its branches creaking. He moved close, crouched, and darted.

He was only about a foot from the tree when a branch sweat down, caught him, and sent him flying seven or eight feet through the air, to land heavily on the ground.

"Damn." He said, dusting himself off. "So close."

The other boy dropped the money back into his pocket, shrugged. "Some other time, maybe. You hurt?"

"Nah."

And, casually, they both wondered away.

Teddy and his friend, Jake, both laughed. "Honestly, he could've got himself killed." Jake said finally.

"You know, someone once nearly lost an eye trying to get close to that thing?" Teddy replied, watching the impressive tree, which had stilled now, and simply stood there, looking perfectly innocent.

"Really?" Jake asked, without a trace of doubt in his voice. It seemed very plausible, after all. "How d'you know?"

Teddy paused, then shrugged. "Dunno. Someone must've told me. And, guess what? I know how to get past it. Right up to it, and into the passageway."

"What passageway?" Jake asked instantly.

Teddy smirked, and then briefly repeated the story he'd been told countless times.

"D'you think we could still get in?" Jake asked, unfazed by the werewolf story. Everyone knew of Teddy's parentage, after all. and Jake wasn't one of the few who was bothered by it. "Like, into the passage, into the shack?"

"Sure." Teddy said, and with the bravado many young boys – and girls – possess, added, "Can take you right now, if you want."

Jake hesitated, looked back towards the castle. "Not now. But how about tonight? We could sneak out, spend the night in the shack?"

"Sure." Teddy replied. "We could sneak out at...midnight? And sneak back in at dawn. No problem."

"Place is haunted, right?" Jake asked, though looking more excited than afraid.

"Nope. That was 'cause of my dad." Teddy grinned, and Jake rolled his eyes, muttered something about the world being full of lies, though he was smirking too.

A bell rang from the castle; break was over. With a sigh, both boys traipsed back inside.

--

The weak January sun had set; the castle had silenced, and Teddy Lupin was shaking his friend awake.

Jake stirred, mumbled something incoherent, causing Teddy to shake him harder. Leaning forward so as not to wake the other boys, Teddy angrily whispered that if Jake didn't get up now, he was going to stab his eyes out.

The threat may have been clearly false, and not have made much sense, but it was effective.

"What?" Jake mumbled, finally opening his eyes.

"The willow? The shack? All night? Remember?" He asked, annoyed. "You said you could stay awake till midnight."

"I can. I only fell asleep...uh, ten minutes ago."

"Jake, you've been snoring since ten. Just get up, get dressed. Come _on._"

The two of them slipped out of the tower, and down the lesser-used staircase. It was lesser-used due to its appearance – it looked rather like it would fall apart if a marble rolled across it – but it was also the quickest and easiest way outside. So the two of them hurried down, then through a little passage way someone had told Teddy about before he'd even arrived at Hogwarts – probably Harry, though he wasn't sure – and they were almost at the doors before Peeves appeared.

"Firsties? Out of bed?" The poltergeist smirked. "Well, we can't have that." Just as he drew in a breath – or appeared to, because surely he didn't actually breathe? – to shout, Teddy said the first thing he could think of.

"Don't, Peeves, we're only going to the memorial."

Peeves stopped, looked down at the two of them thoughtfully. Something that may have been sympathy crossed his face. "The Lupin boy." He said finally. "Parents are...on that thing, aren't they?"

Teddy nodded, hurriedly tried to look sad.

"Knew your father." Peeves told him. "And your mum. Liked her more." And with that, he drifted away.

The two of them continued, Teddy fighting the prickling of guilt at using his dead parents in that way. He shouldn't have, really, but it had been so automatic.

He didn't want to be one of those people who used being an orphan to get things. He _wouldn't_ be one of those people. Nope, that was the first and last time he did something like that.

The doors were locked, but Teddy magically unlocked them. And then they were outside, the biting cold a shock, even after the relative draught of the castle.

"Come on, before we freeze." Jake muttered, before running towards the tree. Teddy followed quickly, thinking it would be just their luck for a teacher to look out of the window.

But no one called out to them, or sent jinxes out, or anything. The grounds remained in spooky silence, and the two boys approached the tree.

"Well? How do you get past it?" Jake demanded, his teeth chattering. Only now did Teddy realise his mate half-thought he was lying.

Charming.

Teddy looked around, finally found a long stick on the ground. He picked it up, ignored Jake's snort of disbelief.

And prodded the knot he'd seen.

The tree was still; but it hadn't moved before, and so Teddy wasn't sure he'd hit the right knot. Nevertheless, he sank to his hands and knees, and crawled forward. The tree didn't react.

He found the entrance to the passage way, coated in spider webs and dead leaves. With a vague sound of disgust, he hurriedly cleaned it away with his wand, and Jake's help. Then, after a look at Jake – who looked back with an expression clearly telling him he wasn't going first – he manovered into the opening.

"Follow me." He called back to Jake, a hint of warning in his voice to prevent his friend chickening out. Then he began to crawl. Jake followed; and after what seemed like hours – with Jake asking every once in a while if they were even close – they reached the other opening.

This, too, was coated in spider webs. The passage had frequently had them, which made Teddy wonder what state the shack was in.

He pushed away the thick webbing, crawled forward. And found the place a mess.

It wasn't just spider webs, dust, or the ominous scuttling noises. Furniture was broken, bits of fabric were strewn around, and something that looked suspiciously like an old blood-stain was visible beneath the dust on one patch of the ground.

The two of them hesitated, then began to explore, with childish excitement, despite the obvious lack of anything interesting.

Teddy was debating whether or not to move into the other rooms when Jake said his name. And, crossing the room, Teddy saw why.

One patch of the wall had words scratched into it, glinting silver by Jake's wand light.

_The Marauders. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs._

The nicknames were scrawled a few more times, separate and together, as were the names _James, Sirius, Remus_ and _Peter, _sometimes with surname, sometimes without.

And more – _James loves Lily_ was scoured in a few times. Once, _Lily loves James_ was carved, and Teddy found himself smiling, guessing that the writing was so messy due to James' excitment. Lily Evans had obviously returned his feelings. A few more messages; _Sirius is God_; _Remus will rule the world_; _Marauders till death_.

And, in what Teddy decided, after some debate, was Sirius' writing – well, it matched the _Sirius is God_ and he assumed it was Padfoot himself who'd written that – was _Give Em' Hell Kid._

He could practically see them. Not just meeting here once a month in their animal/werewolf forms. But sneaking out like he and Jake had, hiding here to miss lessons, carving letters into the wall, making jokes and planning their future.

"It was like their clubhouse." He murmured, smiling wryly. Jake looked at Teddy for a moment, then pulled a penknife from his pocket. Beside the messages for the Marauders, he carved his own name. Then he passed the knife to Teddy, moved aside.

And Teddy carefully carved his own name in, his writing uneven but deeply scoured.

"We're gonna need nicknames." Jake said, after a moments silence, tucking his knife back into his pocket. "If we're gonna hang out here, we'll need nicknames."

Teddy smiled, nodded, feeling a rush of affection. "Yep, for sure."

They made makeshift beds, and settled in to sleep, discussing their possible nicknames – and who else they could bring here – until Jake began to snore again. After a few restless minutes, Teddy got up, wondered back to the wall. He traced the messages a few times with his index finger, and then his own name.

Jake's penknife had been set on the floor to stop him lying on it in his sleep; picking it up, he added a heading above their names.

_The Marauders: Generation II_

And, he decided, he and Jake – and whoever else they let add their name to the wall – would add their own messages. And, hopefully, Generation II would fare better than the first had.

The words _Give 'Em Hell, Kid_ were illuminated by his wand as he decided to try to sleep again. With a tired smile, he nodded.

"Will do, Padfoot."

_Hogwarts, after all, needed a few marauders. _


	5. Kinship

Chapter 5 – Kinship

"_He was werewolf?" Teddy said, wide-eyed. "My dad?"_

"_Yes. But Teddy – he was a good one, OK?" Harry said hastily. "Honest, he was a really great person."_

"_I have a book with werewolves in it." Teddy said. "They're mean, and they kill people."_

"_Well your dad wasn't mean, and he didn't kill people." Harry assured him. "And Ted – whatever anyone says, I want you to remember that, OK?"_

"'_K." Teddy said. But he couldn't have imagined just what Harry meant._

"Hey – hey you – The kid with the blue hair!" Teddy stopped, turned, without bothering to check what colour hair he had today. He was the only metamorphamagus currently at Hogwarts, so what were the chances of the "kid with the blue hair" not being him?

The boy who'd shouted at him looked to be a couple years older than Teddy, and at least two feet taller, with the kind of frame that made him look awkward, as though he hadn't yet grown into it, and a mean look on his face.

"What?" Teddy asked uncertainly. If he was going to get beat up, he'd a least like to know why.

"Is it true? That you're half werewolf?"

"Oh." It was a question Teddy was used to by now, but after six months at Hogwarts, he'd assumed it wouldn't be asked anymore. "Yeah. It is."

The boy smirked, nudged his mate, and then turned back to Teddy. "So you go wolf-man once a month?"

"No." Teddy said. Another familiar question, though admittedly it was new phrasing. "I'm just half. I don't transform. At all."

The boy looked him up and down. "No point lying." He said coldly.

"I'm not." Teddy replied, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. This guy didn't look like he'd take well to some eleven year old rolling his eyes at him. "You don't get born a werewolf. You've got to be bitten."

The boy turned to his friend, as though asking if that was true. The friend shrugged, then so did the boy.

"Look, buddy, why would he lie?" Beside Teddy, Jake had obviously grown impatient. Teddy elbowed him – he didn't really feel like fighting with a guy that size, even if Jake would help.

"Your dad's dead, right?" The boy's friend asked Teddy suddenly, who nodded, suddenly apprehensive. "So if he'd have lived, would he have bitten you?"

"No!" Teddy snapped, and both boys laughed.

"Yeah, I bet. Vicious, they are, werewolves. He'd have torn you to pieces, mate."

The bell rang; both the older boys took off quickly, not even noticing Teddy step forward, his fist clenched.

"Bastards." Jake muttered. "Come on, Ted. We're late." He gripped Teddy's elbow, tugged it.

"He wouldn't have bit me." Teddy said, looking at Jake almost accusingly.

"I know."

"He wasn't vicious."

"I _know_."

"Not all werewolves are bad." He was glaring at Jake now.

"I know – Teddy, have I ever said anything to make you think I don't believe that? Have I ever even _looked_ like I felt that way?"

"No." Teddy admitted.

"Then stop looking at me like that. My uncle knew your dad, remember? Well, he was taught by him in his last year. And when I mentioned you, he said what a great guy your dad was. You can't listen to the idiots like them, OK? Now, come on, we're really late."

Teddy let himself be forced down the hall, and into a room, where Jake made a very elaborate and obviously fake excuse up.

He never had been much of a liar, and the two of them were giving extra homework.

"Jake, we need to work on your lying skills. Or lack of them." Said another boy from their dorm, Conner, as they sat. He was an extremely good liar, which was why they were considering letting him join them as the new marauders. It was also why they were considering _not_ letting him join, because how were you supposed to trust someone when you never knew if they were telling the truth?

"I know." Jake sighed, then looked at Teddy. "You OK?" Teddy nodded, but found himself looking out of the window for most of the lesson, his mind blank.

--

He acted normally throughout dinner, annoyed that some of his classmates were very careful around him, the way they often were when Teddy was confronted with his werewolf kinship.

He glanced up to study the sky through the enchanted ceiling, but it wasn't yet dark enough to see the moon. Still, he knew tonight it would be full. He could feel it. He may not be a werewolf, but there was something...a subtle feeling, the knowledge when the moon was full. Sometimes, when he was younger, he'd wondered if he really did transform, at night, and just not remember it.

But then he'd asked his grandmother about it, and, looking rather as though she pitied him, she told him no, he didn't transform.

Maybe it'd be cool to be a werewolf. Maybe.

He couldn't sleep that night, found himself either too hot or too cold, wide awake and uncomfortable. He drank water. He visited the bathroom. He tossed and turned, threw off the covers and tugged them back on, counted sheep, emptied his mind.

And by three in the morning, he was still wide awake.

With an annoyed – though very quiet – sigh, he climbed out of bed, pulling a robe around him, and headed out of the dorm.

He'd just sit in the common room. Maybe he'd be able to fall asleep.

Or, he thought, looking out of the window, he could go outside. The fresh air might help.

You'd think, he decided, slipping into a short cut, that the security on the castle would be a little better. If the forest was full of dangerous creatures – not that he'd seen any on his little exploration of the place – then what would be to stop them leaving the forest and attacking a naive little first year who couldn't sleep?

Not, of course, that Teddy Lupin was a naive little first year. But what if he was?

He walked as far as the lake, then sat down at its bank, looking over the black water. It was still, peaceful. Everything was. The entire world, it seemed, was peacefully sleeping, except for him.

He lifted a stone, threw it, and smiled as the lake water rippled. Disturbed. Awake.

"Hey."

You'd think, in the silence of the night, Teddy would have heard someone approach him for ages before they reached him.

You'd think wrong; Teddy Lupin jumped violently at the voice. He turned, then flushed when he realised he wasn't hearing things – someone was actually stood beside him. No, now they were sitting beside him.

"What you doing out here all alone?" It was Lainey Squire, a Hufflepuff in his year. Her long black hair was tied back, her blue eyes looking at him with amusement.

"Couldn't sleep." Teddy replied. "Uh...You?" Lainey wasn't someone he talked to often, but there were worse people who could catch him out here in his pjs.

"Same." Lainey replied. She was pale, and looked even more so in the moonlight.

Moonlight. Teddy looked up, seeking the full white orb in the inky sky. He found it, stared at it, while Lainey sat beside him.

"I like the full moon." Lainey murmured, then she looked at him sideways. "Guess it means something to you, huh? With...your dad and all..."

"He wasn't just a werewolf." Teddy replied sharply. "He was a person, too. A wizard. And good one."

"I know. I didn't mean to – to upset you or anything. It doesn't bother me." Lainey replied quickly. They lapsed into a silence for a while.

"I think," Teddy heard himself say suddenly, "I think it bothers me."

"That he was werewolf?" Lainey asked quietly.

Teddy nodded, even while he told himself to stop, just stop talking. "Not that I believe he was a bad person, or anything." He added softly. "But...I don't really know much about it. I don't really understand it. And I guess it bothers me that there's a part of him – a part of _me_ – that I don't understand, you know?"

"So look it up. The library's huge, there's bound to be loads of books about them -"

"But what if I don't like what I find?" Teddy asked wryly.

"You gotta take the risk, Teddy." She replied lightly. "You might not like what you find. But either way, you'll have answers, won't you?"

He nodded. "I guess...tomorrow I'll go to the library, do a little research. It's gotta be better than not knowing, hasn't it?"

"You bet." Lainey nodded. "I...I can help you, if you want."

He paused, looked at her, and smirked. "You don't mind helping the were-cub?"

She laughed. "You don't even transform or anything, you spanner. I don't mind." She paused, and then offered a slight smile. "We're kinda related, you and me."

"We are?" He asked in genuine surprise. "Through my grandma's family, I guess?"

She nodded. "I don't know how exactly we're related, it's all kinda complex. But my grandma was a Black." She paused again, and her voice was quieter when she spoke. "I...I guess you should know – I mean, what with your parents and everything – my uncle was a death eater. My mum's brother."

Teddy didn't reply for a moment, and chose his words carefully. "Is he...In Azkaban?"

"No. No, he was killed, a little before the final battle. I – My mum – she wasn't in contact with him. Hadn't been since he first joined. And he wasn't...he wasn't a major player or anything, just, you know, one of the lower ones. I think he was killed for making some mistake. My mum doesn't like to talk about it, but she...she thought I ought to know, before I came here. I...Well, I understand if you don't want my help anymore."

Teddy frowned. "You think I'm going to hate you or something, because your uncle was a death eater?"

"I wouldn't blame you if you did." She shrugged.

"Lainey, half my grandma's family were death eaters. Her sister was the one who killed my mum!"

Her eyes widened at that, but he ignored it.

"Her other sister was married to a death eater, and had a son who was one. My Grandma forgave her, and her husband and son. I see them, sometimes. Lainey, I'm not going to judge you on your uncle, or on the things he did before you were even born. I know more than anybody that you can't be judged on blood alone."

She hesitated, then nodded slightly. "I...Thanks. And - And Teddy...No matter what you find out tomorrow, about werewolves, you...you remember who you are, OK? That little part of you that you don't understand...it doesn't define you."

"I...I know." Teddy nodded. "Um...We should probably go back inside before we get caught."

"We won't get caught. I come out here all the time on a night, and I've never been found. And as far as I know, you don't mind getting caught."

He smiled a little. "No, I don't really. But I think I'll be able to sleep, now."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Me, too." They both stood, and started towards the castle.

"I guess I'll be in the library at around eleven." He told her. "If you still want to help."

"Sure." She nodded.

They parted to go to their own common rooms, and Teddy decided that he'd have to talk to Jake before going to the library in the morning. As long as he agreed, Teddy figured Lainey Squire would make a pretty good third marauder.

_Is it nature or nurture that creates monsters and saints? The blood or the heart that creates who we are?_


	6. Trouble and Tricks

Big, big thanks for the reviews, and I think it's been a few days since I updated, so sorry. Oh, and since on chapter four there was something about them needing nicknames to be maraurders, if anyone has any ideas on them, let me know, because I can't think of any.

Chapter 6 – Trouble And Tricks

"_She was always getting into trouble, your mum." Andromeda smiled at him. "I got so many letters about her, and she was always in detention. In her sixth year, she was suspended from the Quidditch team for their last match, because of something she'd done."_

"_What was it she did?" Teddy asked, smiling._

"_I don't remember now." His grandmother replied, shaking her head. "She did so many things. So, my little Teddy, try not to get into too much trouble yourself, OK?"_

_Teddy simply laughed._

"This place is amazing!" Lainey exclaimed, looking around the dark, dirty main room of the Shrieking Shack.

Jake looked at her, rather unimpressed. He hadn't liked the idea of a girl marauder, and it had taken a little while for Teddy to talk him round. He still seemed to have reservations.

"Sure it's not too dirty for you, Lainey?" He asked, not nastily, but rather sarcastic. "There's bound to be mice and spiders living here, too. Wouldn't want you to get too scared."

Lainey looked at him, rolled her eyes. "Funny, I didn't know I was scared of mice and spiders."

Jake shrugged, and they watched her move towards the staircase.

"She won that round, huh?" Teddy smirked.

"She's still a girl. I don't get it, Ted, it's like letting your little sister join your games. You only do it if your mum makes you."

"She's not your little sister." Teddy point out.

"I know." Jake replied, then muttered, "Holly's scared of spiders. _She_ wouldn't _want_ to join us."

"Most nine-year-old girls are scared of spiders." Teddy told him. "Victoire screams the house down if someone even tells her there's one in the room."

"Yeah, well."

"Jake, mate, we need some brains in this thing, OK? She's got brains."

"So's that Ravenclaw lad who keeps following you around. I don't see you asking him to be a marauder." Jake said flatly, then blew the dust from the stained, rotting fireplace.

"That's because whenever he's close enough to talk he asks me questions about Harry. You think he'd be any help in here? He'd be too busy asking me Harry's favourite colour or favourite socks or something."

"The place does need cleaning." Lainey told them, descending the stairs before Jake could reply. Jake looked pointedly at Teddy, who rolled his eyes. "Who's Holly? Your sister?" Lainey asked Jake, who looked at her with both surprise and suspicion.

"Holly-Marie?" There was only suspicion in his voice, however. "How do you know about her?" He regarded Lainey as though he'd just found a stalker.

"I heard you talking." Lainey replied. She'd moved towards the boarded up window now.

"Eavesdropping, were we?" Jake asked.

"No, Jake. It's a big empty house, with no carpets or curtains or anything to muffle sounds. Your voices carried."

"Oh. Right." Jake muttered. "Well, yeah. She's my little sister."

"Ignore him. He's not a people person." Teddy told Lainey.

"You can't trust them." Jake said flatly.

"He's got a point." Teddy smirked.

"Yes. Well. And who's Victoire?" Lainey asked him.

"V...Oh. She's, ah, my friend. From home. A Weasley, actually."

"And she's nine, too?"

"Yeah. I've known her my whole life." Teddy shrugged.

"I guess she's like a little sister to you, then?" Lainey inquired, making Teddy feel uncomfortable. He made a neutral sound, and pretended to be inspecting the remains of a wooden chair. How was he supposed to know if she was like a sister to him? He didn't have a sister to compare her to.

"Anyway, Ted, I was talking to Conner earlier." Jake said. "I don't think we should ask him to join us."

"Why not?"

"He was telling me some stupid story, about a cat getting stuck in his chimney, and how he saved it. He told it really well, but it was obviously a lie."

"Maybe it was the truth?" Lainey suggested.

"Nah. He admitted it when I copped him." Jake shrugged. "Anyway, I don't think we need him. We can be the three marauders. Let's face it, after what happened to the first lot, adding a forth one we know we can't trust is asking for trouble."

Lainey looked a little surprised, and looked at Teddy as though checking he was OK. Presumably because Jake had referred to his dead dad.

"Lainey, it doesn't bother me." He told her. She jumped a little, then bit her lip.

"But...he wasn't very tactful, was he? I mean..."

"It was Wormtail's fault the others died. He betrayed Harry's parents, forced Sirius into hiding, and brought back Voldemort. That was all Jake was saying, and I agree. Really, there's no need to be...careful about what you say. I am aware my parents are dead, and the mention of it will not make me cry." He smiled to take the edge off his words, but hoped she got the message. He hated it when people were all weird about mentioning his parents. Or their own. One of the best things about Jake was that he wasn't at all wary about what he said, and while some people didn't like it, Teddy found it refreshing.

"It sucks that his 'rents are gone, Lainey, but Teddy isn't going to break down at the slightest reference to them." Jake added.

"Anyway." Teddy said. "Since we've got that all sorted...how about we plan our first prank?

Lainey looked around the shack. "I think we should fix this place up a little first."

"Nah. We can do that later." Jake replied. "The prank comes first."

"What is that, the motto?" Lainey muttered.

"Could be." Jake told her, then turned back to Teddy. "Any ideas?"

"Well..." Teddy reached for the bag he'd throw down by the door, and pulled a box out of it. "This went down pretty well when Harry was at school...when the, uh, Weasley twins did it."

It was, as always, a little weird to think of George Weasley as a pair. To think of any other person beside him, sharing his jokes and thoughts and dreams.

"Fireworks?" Jake asked, looking at the box.

"Loose in the castle. These are a bit different to the ones the twins used, though. I know it's not much, but it's a good start, isn't it? Bit of chaos?"

"Could it be traced back to us?" Lainey asked.

"Uh...Well...Anyone can buy these, so..."

"Lainey, if you aren't prepared to get in trouble, maybe you shouldn't be here. We could get away with this, but don't expect to never get caught." Jake said impatiently.

"I don't mind trouble." Lainey replied firmly. "And I think it's a great idea, Teddy. When?"

"The sooner the better." Teddy replied.

"No – let's wait till History, tomorrow." Jake said quickly. "They might have to evacuate the castle – it'd be great to miss it."

"But what about the O.W.L and N.E.W.T students? It doesn't seem fair." Lainey stated.

Jake threw his arms up, looked at Teddy. "See? _See_? It's a girl thing – they're such killjoys."

"I am NOT a killjoy." Lainey snapped. "And don't _generalise_ all girls. What are you basing that on? Your mother?"

"You just said -"

"Well I'm sorry if I don't want to ruin peoples' futures!"

"One lesson won't make much difference, will it? And it's only January." Jake rolled his eyes.

"Look, stop arguing." Teddy said loudly. "We'll set the fireworks off tomorrow, in History. Jake's right, Lainey, it's only one lesson."

Lainey looked as though she was reluctantly thinking about it. "Fine. Fine."

"Great!" Jake said brightly. Teddy looked down at the box of fireworks, and wondered if they would be worth the trouble.

--

The bell rang, loudly, and students flooded out of rooms and into the hallway.

"Where is she?" Jake said impatiently from beside Teddy, as they walked quickly down the hall. "She said she had Charms – it's only in the next corridor -"

"The bell's only just rang. Give her chance. There! She's there -"

Lainey ran towards them, and Teddy swung his bag from his shoulder, opened it.

"Quick – Quickly!" She hissed, as Teddy dug out the box. The three of them darted into a nearby closet, and Teddy unpacked the fireworks.

"Come on!" Lainey hissed. "If we're late, it'll be obvious it was us -"

They unpacked the box quickly, and piled the fireworks.

"It won't burn the place down, will it?" Jake asked.

"No – no, they're safe." Teddy replied distractedly. "Here." He picked one up, lit it with his wand, then nodded towards the door. "Get ready to run." Then he threw the lit firework on to the pile; the three of them ran for it.

They'd just joined the queue outside their room when there was an almighty bang, and the door was blown from the closet they'd just been in. The trio had expected the fireworks to swarm out – instead they all seemed to have burst into flames. The fire, no doubt helped by the cleaning supplies stored in the closet, was growing, as students hastily ran from the corridor.

"Uh-oh." Jake muttered.

"Uh-oh?" Lainey hissed. "I thought you said they wouldn't do that!"

Teddy shrugged uneasily. "I guess you're not supposed to shut them all up in a little space like that...I've never set them off before."

They were moving quickly towards the end of the corridor now. "You might have wanted to mention that before." Jake muttered, but didn't sound angry.

The fire was extinguished quickly, and had caused little damage. And then the entire school was gathered in the Great Hall.

"At least we're missing History." Jake murmured.

"That," Professor McGonagall said loudly and angrily, her words clipped, "was a stupid, dangerous stunt. Someone could have been hurt, or worse. Who was responsible?"

Predictably, no one moved or spoke.

McGonagall looked around the hall. "If someone – the culprit – doesn't confess, the entire school will have to be punished."

Loud, angry voices merged into one another, becoming so tangled none were understandable.

"Silence!" She called for it and got it. "Now, I will give you ten minutes. If no one confesses, you will _all_ be punished."

Jake and Teddy looked at each other, then over at the Hufflepuff table, where Lainey looked guiltily back at them. The noise level in the hall was rising.

"What do you think?" Jake asked quietly. "Should we...I mean, we can't let the whole school..."

"We'd be public enemy number one, once everyone found out." Teddy nodded. "And they would find out. But it only needs one of us to admit to it. I'll do it – It was my idea, and I did it. Wrongly."

"No way. I helped, remember? We'll both confess. But...well, I figure we ought to leave Lainey out of it. She didn't want to get caught when it was just a few fireworks. Arson's a bit more extreme, isn't it?"

"OK. We'll say it was just us. But really, you don't have to -"

Jake rolled his eyes, and stood. At the average height of an eleven year old, this didn't attract much attention, and so he stood on his seat, instead. Teddy sighed before climbing up behind him.

A few people noticed them and silenced; then more did, and then gradually the whole hall had quietened, and was looking at them.

"Um...Professor?" Teddy said. Not so loudly; it wasn't needed. Professor McGonagall sighed.

"Yes, Teddy? Jake?"

"It...It was us, Professor." Jake said. "Me and Teddy...we started the fire."

She didn't, Teddy noticed, look all that surprised. "And why was that?"

"It was sort of an accident." Teddy said uncomfortably. The whole hall was looking at them, and it felt as though every drop of blood in his body had gathered at his face. "We...uh, we meant to...we thought..." There were a few whispers, and Teddy glanced at Jake.

"Fireworks." Jake said weakly. Professor McGonagall didn't answer for a minute, and Teddy glanced and Lainey, who was chewing her lip as though trying to decide whether to join them or not. Teddy shook his head a little at her.

"And it was just the two of you, boys? No one else?"

"No one." Teddy answered quickly.

"Very well. Come with me." She left the teachers's table; Jake and Teddy jumped back to the floor, and started towards the doors like the headmistress.

"Wait!"

Jake swore under his breath; Lainey had stood.

"I helped. It was me, too." And she was walking across the hall after them. Now McGonagall did look surprised, but simply lead them through the hall.

"What are you doing?" Jake hissed.

"If I weren't prepared to get into trouble, I shouldn't have been there, remember?" Lainey hissed. "What kind of marauder would I have been if I'd just sat there in silence?"

McGonagall was listening, Teddy realised. Her body language had changed slightly at the word "marauder" and when she glanced back at them, she didn't actually look mad. In fact, Teddy thought, if you just looked at her eyes, you might even think she was smiling...

--

Andromeda Tonks sighed at the letter on her doormat. The Hogwarts' seal was fixed to it, and she could guess what that meant. Picking it up, she opened and read it right there in the hallway.

"Fire?" She muttered. "Goodness Teddy, even your mother never went that far..."

_History often repeats._


	7. Home

Not my best, I know, but I got really blocked on this, and pretty much threw it together so I could update. I think I'm going to skip forward a couple of years for the next few chapters.

Chapter 7 – Home

"_Harry...You know like I have a bedroom at Grandma's...But I have a bedroom here, too...and at Ron and Hermione's...and at Molly and Arthur's...and I stay in lots of people's houses...Well, which place is mine? My home?"_

_Harry Potter looked down at the boy. He was seven, with dark blue hair and amber eyes, today. And looking at Harry with the kind of trusting expression that scared him a little. _

"_Um...Well, Teddy...I guess your official home is with your Grandma. But, you know, there always a place for you here, or at Ron and Hermione's, or Molly or Arthur's. You've got lots of homes, I guess, Ted."_

"_You're only supposed to have one home, though." Teddy stated. Harry hesitated._

"_Well...Ah..."_

"_You get extra homes, Teddy, because we all love you so much." Ginny put in, smiling at the boy. "If your Grandma wasn't nice enough to let us all have you for a little while, we'd all be fighting over you, Kiddo."_

_Teddy laughed, delighted, and the conversation turned to something else. But later, he found himself thinking that however loved he was, he was still supposed to have only one home._

"OW!" Jake cried loudly, flying sideways and nearly knocking Teddy over. "Watch it, will you?" He yelled after the person who'd bumped into him; but the person was long gone.

"Stupid people." Jake muttered. "You know what's wrong with the world, Teddy-boy?"

"No, what?" Teddy asked, though he had a pretty good idea of what his friend was going to say. He waved at Lainey, who was a few feet away, and began to fight her way across the entrance hall to reach them.

"The people in it. Think about it, Teddy. How great would the world be without any people?"

"People?" Lainey repeated, having just reached them and caught the end of Jake's statement. She narrowed her eyes, looking at him questioningly. "People as in all people, or people as in...muggles?"

Jake looked at her blankly, and nearly tripped over someone's trunk. "People as in them all – magic and muggle."

"Oh." Lainey relaxed, and shifted the owl cage in her hand. "OK, then."

This time, Jake's eyes narrowed. "What, you thought I meant muggles? So I'm a pure-blood muggle-hating maniac now?"

"No – I just -"

"You know Lainey, that's really insulting." Jake said, sounding annoyed. "I have no problem with muggles or muggle-borns – and I'm not even nearly pure-blood. My mum is a muggle, and my dad's dad is muggle-born. My dad's mum is a half-blood. I don't think there's been any "pure" blood in my family for about ten generations, OK?"

Lainey nodded. "OK. I'm sorry." She averted her eyes; and Teddy was thankful Jake chose not to bring up her own family roots. If anyone of them was going to be a muggle-hater, it would have be Lainey, and they all knew that.

"Good." They finally reached the front doors and emerged into sunlight. "Come on, let's find a carriage." Teddy shifted the owl cage he was holding, thinking it would have been easier if he'd just sent his owl ahead of them. The tawny that Hagrid had given him for his eleventh birthday was attempting to sleep, but seemed to be failing, possibly due to the noise around them.

It was beginning of the Eater holidays, and all around them students were dragging trunks and chasing cats, as they attempted to make it out of the castle and into a thestral-drawn carriage. Owls were squawking, people were shouting, and the teachers supervising had given up on trying to regain some kind of order.

"This one's empty." Teddy said, hurrying over to the nearest carriage. The three of them hauled their luggage inside, and clambered in; the carriage began to move.

"Looking forward to the holidays?" Lainey asked brightly as they careered down the slope.

"I guess." Jake shrugged. "My sister'll be doing my head in for the full two weeks, though. All she did over Christmas was ask about Hogwarts."

"See, he moans about her, but he loves her really." Teddy told Lainey, smirking as Jake punched him on the arm.

"What about you, Teddy?" Lainey asked.

"Yeah. It'll be nice to see everyone." Teddy said casually. In truth, he was missing the people he considered family greatly. He didn't remember a time when Victoire Weasley hadn't been by his side. He worried that his Grandma would be lonely without him. He wondered if James and Albus and Rose and the others missed him; he worried that Lily and Hugo would have forgotten him. He couldn't wait to get back and see them all.

"Who's meeting you at the station?" Jake asked. They were near Hogsmeade, now, Teddy noticed.

"Not sure. Could be anyone." Teddy said with a half-smile. He didn't care, really. It would just be nice to see a familiar face.

They pulled up in Hogsmeade station, and the three of them climbed out, dragging their luggage. They found a compartment; several minutes later the train had began to move.

They spent a large part of the journey attempting to come up with their marauder nicknames, without much success.

"I don't know how they did it, Ted." Jake sighed finally. "I don't even know where to start."

"Well, they were already animagi when they came up with the nicknames, weren't they? They just had to come up with names reflecting their animals."

"Maybe we could -" Jake began excitedly.

"No, Jake. No way." Lainey said flatly. "We don't even know how, and we're too young. The ministry wouldn't let us even try -"

"So we do it illegally, like -"

"Jake Cobalt!" Lainey said loudly, shocked. "We are not going to become illegal animagi! That's a serious offence – do you know how much trouble we'd get in?"

"Lainey, they don't throw eleven year olds in Azkaban." Jake said flatly.

"I'm twelve!" Lainey cried. Teddy couldn't take it any longer; he burst out laughing, soon to be joined by Jake, and then, although she tried not to, by Lainey.

"OK," Jake said finally. "No animagi. Fine." Then, smirking, he settled back against his seat. "I'm twelve." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Great comeback."

They passed the rest of the journey practicing spells, playing exploding snap, and trying to plan a new marauder plan, that didn't involve fire in any shape or form.

And then, when the sky had begun to darken, and the three of them had grown tired, the train finally pulled into the station.

Yawning, Teddy pulled down his trunk, and hooked the handle of his owl's cage on his arm. Then he and the others climbed out of the train, and Teddy began to scan the crowd.

Before he'd located anyone familiar, someone small and redheaded collided solidly with him, almost knocking him over.

"Teddy!" Victoire Weasley squealed. Smiling, Teddy hugged her back, and looked over her head to locate the rest of the family. Sure enough, a few feet away, waving and smiling, were his Grandmother, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Bill and Fleur. And a bunch of kids.

"Teddy? You know this lass, right?" Jake asked, half smiling as Victoire finally released him.

"Yeah, course." Teddy replied. "This is Victoire. Victoire, this is Jake – remember, I told you about him at Christmas – and Lainey."

Victoire smiled at Jake, then looked at Lainey uncertainly. "Um, hi." She said.

"Hi." Lainey said brightly. Victoire deliberately looked away from her. "Uh...That's my mum, over there, so I'll see you guys in a couple of weeks."

"OK – see you." Jake said.

"Bye." Teddy added, and Lainey crossed the station.

"Jake! Look, mum, he's there!" A voice yelled suddenly; looking towards the sound, Teddy saw a young girl waving brightly, holding the hand of a woman he assumed was her mother.

"And there's mine." Jake said, waving. "See you in while, then, Ted."

"'K. Bye, Jake."

And the two boys went their separate ways.

There was a lot of hugging when Teddy reached his lot, and he was forced to pick up little Lily Potter; at just two, she wasn't very heavy, and carrying her meant Harry grabbed his trunk and Ron took his owl.

He was surrounded by Victoire, Dominique, Louis, James, Albus and Rose, with little Hugo chattering loudly from his mother's arms. They were so loud and noisy that several people turned to look, but Teddy barely noticed. This was how he was supposed to be; part of big, noisy crowd.

"Grandma, can Victoire sleep over tonight?" Teddy asked, as they reached the car park.

"If her parents say yes." Andromeda replied lightly.

"Please dad?" Victoire asked instantly. Bill Weasley – who'd never mastered the art of saying "no" to any of his children, nodded. And so Victoire climbed into the back of Andromeda's car with Teddy; the others climbed into their own cars and departed.

"Teddy?" Victoire said, after a few minutes silence. "That girl at the station – Lainey – is she...your girlfriend?"

"What? No – no, she's not." Teddy said quickly. "She's just a friend. Who happens to be a girl. But she's not my _girlfriend_. Just my girl...uh...friend."

"Oh." Victoire visibly relaxed. "OK, then."

Teddy looked at her curiously, but didn't ask questions.

He was almost asleep when they finally got home; he changed quickly, and climbed straight into bed, falling asleep in seconds.

--

The next morning, Teddy found himself in the Burrow, surrounded by Weasley grandkids, all of who wanted to hear stories of Hogwarts.

"Tell us about the fire, Teddy!" Victoire said suddenly; Teddy fought a smirk when he saw his grandmother and Harry exchanging looking.

"Uh, Teddy, actually I need to talk to you." Harry interrupted. Teddy simply nodded and followed Teddy into the kitchen – he'd been wondering when he'd get this talk.

Sure enough, Teddy spent ten minutes listening as Harry explained that they knew Teddy didn't mean to do it, but fire was extremely dangerous, and someone would have been hurt. He told him that it was a very irresponsible thing to do, and made him promise he'd never play with fireworks, or fire in any form, ever again.

And then Teddy was let back into the living room, where he was once again surrounded by his surrogate family.

Finally, with James tugging his sleeve and talking, Victoire sat beside him, all the other kids around him, and the Weasley adults scattered around, along with his grandmother, Teddy felt like he was finally home.

The house didn't matter to him; it was these people that were important in him.

_A home is defined by the people in it._


	8. Promises and AgeGaps

Well, we've skipped forward two years now. Teddy is thirteen, and just starting his third year; Victoire is eleven and just starting her first. Not the greatest chapter, but the next one should be better.

Chapter 8 – Promises And Age-gaps

"_Vee, I promise you, we'll still be friends." Teddy said desperately. "And I'll miss you too. But I'll be home at Christmas, and then in a couple of years, you'll be there too."_

"_But I'll really, really miss you." Victoire said sadly. "I don't want you to go. Can't you just – just wait, and go when I go?"_

"_It doesn't work like that." Teddy said. He didn't want her to be upset, or angry, or anything, but he was a little annoyed too. He'd wanted to go to Hogwarts for years, after all, and if it was the other way round, he wouldn't expect Victoire to wait an extra two years._

"_We will always be best friends, though, right?" She asked him, gazing up fearfully."Not matter how many new friends you make at school -"_

"_Of course we will." Teddy promised."Always."_

"What?" Victoire gripped his arm, wide-eyed and terrified looking.

"I said, you have to go to Hagrid, and he'll take you across the lake in boats. I'll see you at the castle." Teddy replied.

"No – I mean I heard – but – but – without you?"

Teddy forced himself not to sigh. She _was_ his best friend, and he _did_ love her to bits, but...well, ever since they'd entered platform nine and three quarters, she hadn't left his side. When he searched for Jake and Lainey on the train, she followed him so close that when he'd had to take a quick step back to avoid a cat that was escaping its owner, he stepped on her. When he'd finally found his friends, he'd tried to get her to talk to Jake's little sister, Holly, who was also starting Hogwarts for the first time, and looked terrified. Instead, she'd sat in near silence, ignoring everyone except him. When they climbed from the train, she'd clung to his arm, afraid of losing him in the crowd.

And now she looked ready to refuse the tradition boat-ride.

"Vee, you'll be fine." He said, maybe a little sharply. "You'll be with Hagrid, and he'll look after you."

"But I -"

"You have to go in the boats. I'll see you after you've been sorted. Victoire, I managed to do it all on my own, and so can you." She faltered a little at his words, causing a stab of guilt. "Vee. Look at me." She looked up, met his gaze. "You'll be fine. Here, go with Holly." And he pushed her towards Jake's little sister. They watched them both walk to Hagrid, then started looking for a carriage.

"So, she was nervous, huh?" Jake asked as they climbed into a carriage.

"Yeah." Teddy muttered. "She's not usually that clingy."

"It's scary, first coming here." Lainey shrugged.

They talked idly until they reached the castle, then followed the crowd inside. Settling at the Gryffindor table, Teddy trained his gaze on the doors, waiting for the new first years to enter.

Finally, once everyone was sat, they were led through, all looking sickly and nervous. He found Victoire easily, by the long blonde hair. She was pale, her eyes darting around, and her left hand twisting the hem of her right sleeve.

He felt a little guilty again – she was obviously terrified, and really shouldn't he have done a little more to ease her fears?

The hall fell silent, and the first name was read out. The dark haired boy stumbled forward, and was instantly sent to Ravenclaw.

"Where d'you think your Victoire'll end up?" Jake whispered beside him.

"Dunno. Apparently her family were all in here, so..."

"She could end up anywhere." Jake finished cheerfully. "Not a clue where Holly'll go, out family are scattered around. We've even got a few Slytherin aunts and uncles."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Just three – two uncles and an aunt." Jake shrugged. "Ooh, shush, we've reached "C" – it'll be Holly in a sec..."

A few more students were sorted – two Slytherins and a Hufflepuff – and then, finally, came the words "Cobalt, Holly."

Jake's sister, with long, auburn hair, and bright blue eyes, stepped forward awkwardly. She and Jake, Teddy mused, looked a lot alike.

Holly sat on the stool, pulled the hat over her head, and waited. After a few seconds – in which Jake, Teddy noticed with a smirk, bit his lip and looked almost as nervous as his sister – the rip in the hat opened – and it yelled the word, "Gryffindor!"

"Yes!" Jake yelled, jumping to his feet as the rest of the hall clapped, and the Gryffindor's cheered. Smiling with relief, his sister handed the hat back then hurried over to them.

She sat on the space opposite them, smiling at her brother and Teddy.

"See – told you you'd end up here." Jake said brightly. "You looked so scared, Holl, I thought you'd pass out."

"I _was_ scared." Holly replied. As the sorting was continuing, a prefect nearby was looking at them disapprovingly, the three silenced and turned back to the first years.

The sorting passed rather slowly, and Teddy found himself wishing that "Weasley" began with a different letter. One further up in the alphabet. Or that there were less kids in Victoire's year.

"Weasley, Victoire."

"Finally." Teddy muttered as Victoire walked slowly forward. She sat, pulled on the hat, and within two, maybe three, seconds, the hat yelled "Gryffindor!"

Victoire quickly handed the hat back and almost ran to them; sitting beside Holly she smiled at Teddy.

"I made it!"

The sorting ended; they ate, and before they knew it, they were walking up to the tower. Victoire was clinging to his arm, leaning her head tiredly on his shoulder. It was something Teddy was so used to that he barely noticed – but he saw a few boys in his year glance over at him, smirking and whispering to each other. Because he couldn't figure out why, he simply ignored it.

--

"Teddy!" Victoire caught up with him right after he'd left the portrait hole next morning. "I'm glad we caught you – neither of us remembers the way to the Great Hall."

Beside her was Holly, who offered him a smile.

"It's this way." Teddy shrugged, and led them downstairs.

Victoire sat next to him through breakfast, and he and Jake left a little earlier than they needed to, in order to show the younger girls to their classrooms.

"Come on – we've got Charms." Teddy said, tugging Jake's arm. Jake looked rather like he wanted to make sure his sister got into the room alright, but Teddy figured being late on their first day back wasn't a good start.

They made it to Charms as the door was opening, and took their usual seats by the back.

"Hey, Lupin." Conner said turning to face them. "Where's your little girlfriend?"

Teddy looked at him blankly."What?"

Several of the boys cracked up laughing; before Conner could reply, Flitwick entered, and Conner turned back to the front.

The rest of Charms passed easily, and Teddy forgot all about it. He spent break with Victoire, and then he and Jake went to Potions. Teddy noticed Jake and Conner whispering, but was unconcerned, concentrating instead on lighting his fire.

Until Jake leaned towards him. "Listen, Conner just said something. Uh...Well, I thought you should know."

"Know what?"

"Some of the guys...Well, Conner asked me if you and Victoire were, like, you know, going out."

"What?"

"I told him no – but, well, they all think..." Jake trailed off, and Teddy didn't know how to answer.

"But I can't let everyone think I'm going out with an eleven year old!" He said finally. "What do I do?"

"I...don't know." Jake said awkwardly. Teddy lapsed into silence for a while, before speaking again.

"Is it weird that were mates? Me and Victoire? With her being so much younger?" He asked nervously.

"Well...no. I mean, she's not that much younger...and you've been mates forever, haven't you?" Jake shrugged. "They'll get over it in a while. It's probably only a big deal because you're you, isn't it?"

"Because I'm me?" Teddy repeated.

"Yeah. You know. Famous."

"Oh..." Teddy murmured, and then fell into silence again.

--

"Teddy! Hey -" Victoire sat down next to him, and began loading up her plate. "Today's been really great – I had transfiguration, and guess what happ -"

"Actually, Vee, I can't talk right now. Uh...homework." Teddy interrupted, avoiding her gaze. He stood, leaving his mostly-empty plate, and left the hall, leaving Victoire, shocked and hurt.

She put it down to first-day-back tiredness. Even though he wasn't in the common room when she got back. Even though he seemed to have breakfasted and gone to his lesson early next morning. Even though he and an apologetic Jake insisted they needed to do some flying during break, before Quidditch practice started. Even though his seat at lunch was at the far end of the table, with no empty spaces close enough for her to talk to him. Even though he rushed down his dinner, and muttered something she didn't hear before rushing off. Even though he seemed to leave the common room and disappear into his dorm the second she entered the tower.

After the entire first week consisted of this behaviour, though, she could ignore it no longer. Teddy Lupin, her life-long best friend, was avoiding her.

Angry, hurt, tears sprang into her eyes when she walked into the hall on Saturday morning, and saw him catch sight of her, before looking quickly away. She didn't sit near him – it was obvious he didn't want her to – and looked down at her toast miserably.

Holly – who she had become friends with over the last week – sat beside her. "I asked Jake why he was avoiding you..." She said tentatively.

"Did he tell you?" Victoire asked, hardly caring about the answer.

"Yeah...but...well, I'm not supposed to tell you." Holly bit her lip when Victoire looked up. "He swore me to secrecy, and...well..."

"He's your brother." Victoire nodded. "You can't break the promise. I understand. I have a brother and a sister myself." She looked back down at her toast.

"I...I think you should talk to him, though. Teddy. He's just being stupid, and – and a boy – and...well..."

"Thanks, Holly, but if he doesn't want to talk to me then I won't make him." Victoire shrugged.

--

"You told your _sister_ why I'm not talking to her? Your sister? Who is Vee's new best friend?" Teddy hissed angrily, glaring at his friend.

Jake shifted uncomfortably. "Well I didn't know it was a secret. And...well she did that whole families-don't-keep-secrets thing -"

"It wasn't your secret! Really, Jake, learn to say no to the kid!"

"But I swore her to secrecy, Ted. She won't tell Victoire, I swear. But...ah...maybe you should talk to her - Victoire, I mean. Holly said she's pretty broken up..."

Teddy felt a pang of guilt, and didn't answer.

--

Four more days passed, with both of them becoming increasing miserable, and Teddy's guilt increasing.

And then, on his way back to the tower after dinner he almost walked into her. She looked up at him in surprise, and he saw the hurt and anger in her eyes. Before he could think what to say to her – or, indeed, whether to speak at all – she had burst into tears.

"Wh – Don't cry!" He practically shouted it, and she glared at him a tear ran slowly down her face. "I – I mean – please, stop crying, Vee...I – I -"

"Don't care." She finished bitterly, and made to move away from him.

"I _care_," he said quickly. Somehow, he couldn't bear the thought of her thinking he didn't care. And somehow, he had to explain. "It's just – Victoire – the boys in my year...well...they thought we were...you know...going out."

"So?" She replied angrily.

"So...I thought it might be weird for us to be mates – 'cause you're only eleven – and – well -"

"So you were embarrassed by me." She stated. The tears had stopped; now she looked furious.

"No – well – yes...but -"

"But nothing! I can't _believe_ you, Teddy Remus Lupin!" And she spun on her heal and stormed off.

"Dude." Jake said, walking up behind him. "You got _middle-named_. You're in trouble."

Teddy sighed. "I know." With a sigh, he hurried after her. He caught up quickly, and grabbed her arm.

"Vee – listen, I'm sorry -"

"I don't care."

"I didn't know what to do -"

"Don't worry about it. This way you don't have to be ashamed of me. I'll never speak to you again, and everything will be fine."

He froze. Somehow it seemed worse now she said it. He'd been willing to talk to her only in the holidays. But now he couldn't imagine not talking to her all the time.

"No – please, I'm really sorry. I don't know what I was thinking – I really hated myself for it, honest."

"I don't care." She turned and this time he let her walk away.

"Well, that went well." Came a voice nearby, and Teddy jumped. Lainey stepped up beside him and rested her elbow on his shoulder.

"What is it with you and Jake following me around?" He muttered, annoyed.

"Let me talk to her." Lainey said. "See what I can do."

"Oh – I don't know – what if you make it worse?"

"Uh-huh. 'Cause it seems like it can be worse. I'll see you later." She replied, already walking after Victoire. Teddy sighed and turned away.

It was a few hours later, when he sat alone in the common room, miserable, when Victoire walked over to him, and threw a pillow at him to get his attention.

"Hey..." He said awkwardly, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to hit you, don't look so mad. Lainey talked to me."

"I...Did she help?"

"Yes. She reminded me that you are, in fact, a boy, which makes you often stupid." She told him flatly. "And we decided I might as well forgive you."

"So – so we're OK?" He asked.

"Not yet. But we will be." And she walked away from him, leaving him rather confused, and more than a little annoyed with himself.

_Friends are friends, no matter what other people think._


	9. Pink and Portraits

So sorry this has taken me so long. I got so far in, then realised I didn't know where to take it. So I fell back on the whole parents-thing, which I know is highly unoriginal.

Chapter 9 – Pink and Portraits

"_Her hair's pink a lot." Teddy commented, turning another page in the photo album._

"_She liked it that way." His grandmother told him. "I think she liked being different...I think she liked that some people were shocked or offended by it."_

_Teddy smiled, too. "She would've been a really cool mum." _

"_Would've?" Andromeda repeated. "What do you mean, would have? She's still your mum, Teddy."_

"_Well...yeah, but...she's not, you know, here..." He stammered, unsure whether his grandmother was mad at him or not._

"_She's always here, Teddy. Always with you." Andromeda said softly. Teddy just nodded, knowing that if he said what he was thinking she'd be upset._

_Because everyone kept telling him his parents were always with him. But it wasn't the same._

Teddy Lupin couldn't fight the smirk, and had stopped trying. All around him, students were talking and looking around; some looked appreciative, some annoyed.

Well, not everyone liked the colour pink, after all. And in all honesty, Teddy didn't really like the colour, either. But no one could deny that turning the entire Great Hall a bright, bubblegum pink was impressive.

A group of girls entered the hall; one screamed aloud, causing Teddy and Jake to burst out laughing. Lainey, over at her table, offered them a smirk.

"Were you the one who screamed?" Teddy asked, when Victoire sat down opposite them.

"No." Victoire said instantly, her face turning pink, too.

"Why are you blushing, then?" Jake smirked.

"I'm not – it's the glow, the glow from the table." She pointed almost frantically at the bright pink table cloth. "Did you lot do this?" She asked quickly, as Holly sat beside her.

"Yep." Teddy replied, without bothering to keep his voice down.

"How?" Victoire asked incredulously.

"We're not exactly sure." Jake replied.

"It could have been a potion we've been working on...or a charm we sort of made up..."

"Or a combination of them." Jake added.

"Or a few other things we had going." Teddy finished. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Did it have to be pink?" Victoire asked, looking faintly sick. "Of all the colours in all the world, you had to pick pink?"

"Well...we didn't exactly choose it. We weren't even sure what was going to happen..." Teddy explained, still smiling brightly.

"Uh-oh. Headmaster approaching." Jake muttered, nudging Teddy, who looked up to see an angry Professor McGonagall walking towards them.

"Ah. We promised to keep Lainey out of this one, remember. Her mum's a bit unappreciative." Teddy said, and Jake nodded. Teddy glanced up; McGonagall was closer. OK, how much trouble can you afford?" Teddy asked his friend in a hurried voice.

"Uh...I should be OK with this...Maybe..."

"Jake, you were threatened with expulsion last week." Holly hissed.

"Oh. Yeah..." Jake looked at Teddy questionably.

"It's OK." Teddy said. "It's my turn to take a hit, anyway. Hi, Professor."

"I take it you two and Miss Squire are responsible for this?" McGonagall asked sharply.

"Nope." Teddy replied.

"No?"

"No. It was just me, this time." Teddy said brightly.

McGonagall sighed. "I'm sure. Go on, Lupin, to my office while I try and fix this."

"Right. Password still the same?"

"Yes." She replied tightly, and Teddy waved goodbye to his friends as he left the hall. He made his way to the headmistress's office, gave the password to the gargoyle, and went up the staircase. He took his usual seat, and then realised he was alone in the headmistress's office for the first time.

"Good morning." The polite voice made him jump, but Teddy relaxed when he realised it was a portrait.

"Hi." He said, to the largest one, the one directly behind the desk. Dumbledore, Teddy knew.

"The headmistress is still at breakfast." Another portrait told him. "If you're looking for her -"

"She sent me here to wait."

"In trouble, are you?" Dumbledore asked mildly. "What did you do this time?"

"Turned the great hall pink." Teddy replied proudly.

"Ah. I wouldn't imagine the teachers are very pleased." Dumbledore said, the hint of a smile on his painted face.

"Nope." Teddy replied.

"A childish stunt." The portrait of Severus Snape sneered; when Teddy looked at him, Snape looked away as though bored.

"It was brilliant." Teddy replied defensively.

"Quite." Dumbledore nodded. "I doubt Professor McGonagall appreciates it, however."

"Well, no, I guess not." Teddy replied, wondering just what his punishment would be. "I hope she doesn't write to my grandma again."

"Ah. Gets annoyed, your grandmother, then?"

"Well - yeah, but my mum was always getting into trouble, so when I do...my grandma remembers, and it makes her sad." Teddy shrugged. "I'd just rather keep her out of it, that's all."

"Ah." Dumbledore looked, for a moment, very sad. Almost, Teddy thought uneasily, close to tears. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm sure your mother would have been rather pleased with your little stunt."

Teddy tried not to squirm. It was just a little uncomfortable to have a dead man talk about his dead mum. Especially a stranger – it was always worse to hear a stranger talk about her, or his father.

"Uh...Thanks." Teddy muttered, and looked around the office to avoid Dumbledore. The door opened; Professor McGonagall walked into the room and took her seat.

"You'll be pleased to hear, I'm sure, that the hall has been returned to normal."

"Uh...Right." Teddy said uncertainly. He hardly listened during the lecture she gave him, though careful to pay attention when the topic changed to his punishment.

"I believe Hagrid has a few things you could help him with." She said seriously. "You will meet him in the entrance hall tomorrow night at seven."

"Uh...Right." Teddy said again.

"And I would like you to write an apology, too."

"An apology?" Teddy repeated, somewhat confused.

"To the members of staff who had to start their day fixing your mess." She replied coolly. "You will apologise and explain your reasons for desecrating the hall."

"Uh...Right."

"That is all – you may go."

"Uh...Right, Professor." Teddy nodded, standing and heading for the door. As he pulled it closed behind him, he clearly heard Professor McGonagall's voice.

"He seems to be lacking his usual lustre." She commented.

"Entirely my fault, I'm afraid, Minerva." Dumbledore's voice answered.

"At least I'm not the only one who talks to portraits." Teddy muttered as he headed for his lesson.

--

He was brooding. It was something he did once in a while, something he'd done often since childhood. And Victoire, who had, after all, been there throughout his childhood, knew how to handle it.

Not by asking if he was OK. Not by trying to cheer him up. Not by trying to distract him.

The direct approach was the best way to handle Teddy Remus Lupin in one of his little moods.

"What is it?" She asked, sitting beside him on the sofa. It was tucked away in a corner, not one of the best seats in the common room, but not one of the worst, either. It was the kind of seat the third years were entitled to.

Teddy gave a little sigh, shrugged, and she waited, knowing that she didn't need to push the issue. Sure enough, two minutes later he was telling her about his conversation with Dumbledore's portrait.

"Ah." Victoire said, and briefly touched his arm. "It upset you a bit, then, him talking about your mum?"

Teddy breathed deeply, in and out. "I don't know. I think it's more...He said she'd have liked it. It just...annoys me, I guess, that I'll never know if that's true."

"I'm sure it is, Ted." Victoire said. Teddy shrugged. "They'd be proud of you. I know they would."

"You don't know that. And it's not like they'll ever be able to tell me, is it?" Teddy sighed again. "I'm off to bed – night, Vee."

"Night." She replied, as he walked away.

It took him a while to fall asleep, and as he grew more and more tired he grew more and more angry at his parents. For leaving him.

But then sleep overcame him.

He was standing in shadows. The light was dim, he could barely see around him. And he couldn't tell where he was.

And yet he felt safe.

He took a step forward, wanting to explore. And then he noticed a faint white light moving towards him. He took an automatic step back, before realising he wasn't afraid. This light, more than anything else he ever experienced, made him feel safe.

"Wotcher, Teddy." She was smiling, as the light cleared and she came into focus. There were no tears in her eyes, like when he'd seen her in the mirror – she was smiling brightly, looking at him delighted.

"Mum?" He whispered it, gazing at her. She nodded, her smile widening, as though she was thrilled he recognised her.

And then, in two steps, he'd moved forward and hugged her tightly.

It was the first time he could ever remember his mother's arms around him. She was holding him close, and her flesh was warm and soft. He felt like sobbing, like laughing. Like never letting go.

But eventually she loosened her grip, pushed him gently back and looked at his face. Her hand raised slowly, traced his cheek with the tip of her fingers. "I love the hair." She told him, smiling. Teddy wasn't entirely sure what colour it was today – possibly purple, he thought dimly. But he smiled back at her.

"Now listen to me, young man." She said firmly, her hands gripping his shoulders. She didn't seem to want to stop touching him. "I am so proud of you I can't put it into words. Your father is, too." She gave him a smirk. "I love you the most, of course. I'd have been your favourite." She winked, and he felt his smile grow wider. His face ached with it. "So proud of you." She murmured. "I'm sorry, Teddy, that I left you. Really – it's not what I wanted, not what I thought would happen. If I'd've believed I wouldn't make it back home to you, I wouldn't have gone."

He nodded, not doubting her for a second.

"I hate myself for it. But I'm so proud of you, of who you are. Remember that for me, OK?"

"I will." He promised.

"Are you still mad at me?" She asked, and he shook his head. "All right, then." She pulled him into another hug, and he clung to her, sensing that this was almost over.

"I'll always be with you, Teddy." She murmured. "I'll always love you." Now she sounded close to tears."You'll remember this, OK? And you'll know..." She gave him an extra squeeze, but didn't let go.

"And I loved the pink great hall." Her voice was thick with tears now; and his eyes were full of his own. Everything around him seemed to blur and fade, though he could still feel her.

He awoke in his bed, the feel of his mother's arms tight around him, and tears in his eyes. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself, then found himself smiling.

He didn't care that it had been a dream, that she was dead, that it couldn't possibly be real. Because he was sure it _had_ been real, sure it had all actually happened.

Doubt and anger were gone from his mind, his heart, and he knew that this time they wouldn't come back.

_The boundaries of reality are often a little blurred._


	10. And After

Well I've been struggling with this for the last few chapters, and after the last one I didn't have even a tiny little idea - so I knew I needed to end it. So, this is the final chapter. It's a little sudden, I know, but the story's run its course now. And as I've been idea-less, this probably isn't all that great. But it's more of an epilogue than anything else, so there's not a lot to it.

So, thanks to everyone who read, and especially those who reviewed.

This takes place at the end of Teddy's final year, so there's been a time-jump.

Chapter 10 – And After

"_...And they all lived happily ever after." Hermione finished, and closed the book. "Well, what did you think?_

_He paused, choosing his words carefully. It was a muggle story book, after all, and Teddy didn't want to offend Hermione. "It was...OK." He said finally. He prepared to wince, expecting her face to crumple, for hurt and disappointment to creep into her eyes. Instead, she carried on smiling and nodded. "Yeah. Not brilliant, though, huh?"_

"_Well...No." Teddy admitted. "It was kinda boring, and there wasn't even any fighting. And...I don't get it."_

"_Don't get what?" Now her smile faded slightly into puzzlement. _

"_The story. The fairy used magic to get Cinderella to a ball, and then the prince decided to marry whoever her shoe fits? That's stupid – it could fit anyone, not just her. And she didn't even know him – you can't marry a stranger, just because they're a prince." He shrugged, and was a little confused when Hermione grinned._

"_You know, Teddy, that's exactly the way I always felt about this story." She brushed a hand over his hair. _

"_Really?" That made him feel smart, because Hermione was really clever, and if she shared his opinion on this, it must make him clever, too, right? Even just a little bit. "So why do people like it so much?" He asked. This time it was she who hesitated, chosing her words._

"_Well, I guess people just like to believe it could be that easy to find love and get married and live happily ever after."_

"_And people don't get happily ever afters in real life." Teddy said flatly. Hermione looked over at the Moses basket by the wall, where her baby daughter was sleeping._

"_If they're lucky they do." She murmured, then looked back down at Teddy. The beginning of his life had been dark, she thought. If anyone deserved a happy ending, he did. "Maybe you'll get yours."_

"_You think?" He asked, clearly unconvinced._

"_Oh, yes. But not that easily."_

"_Huh. I won't have to carry a shoe around, will I?" _

--

He was nervous. It made no sense at all to be nervous, but he was.

It would have been normal if this were his first day, or an exam, or...well, anything except his last ever day at Hogwarts. The last day shouldn't make him nervous. Tearful, maybe– Lainey had spent the last few months saying how sad it would be to leave and never come back, how much she'd miss the place, and how she knew she'd cry on the last day, a fact he and Jake knew to be true. Sad, sure. Nostaglic, even – he'd caught himself, a few days ago, staring at the entrance to a passageway he and Jake had once hid in, trying to get out of History of Magic. They'd been caught, and had detention for a full week, but it had been an experience, and he'd found himself thinking he'd miss acting like an idiot.

So there were a whole range of emotions he should be feeling, first thing on his final day. But nerves?

He sat up, pushing away the bedcovers, and thinking that he'd miss this bed. Then he shook his head, telling himself he was acting like a girl.

And then he quietened that thought, too, because he had never known any girl to announce they'd miss a bed. And he knew plenty of girls. He sighed as he stood up, and headed down to the bathroom.

He'd miss the bathroom, too. The way you had to turn the hot tap to a certain point, or else the water would be scolding. The way one of the tiles on the floor was lose, and moved when you stood on it, tipping your balance. He'd fallen over more than once, first thing on a morning, sliding on that tile as he hurried into the room. He'd even miss the way the door jammed sometimes when no one was inside, so on more than one occasion he or one of his roommates had been stood outside, yelling for the occupant to hurry up, only to find that while they'd been painfully desperate to pee, the room had been empty. He'd miss the little things about the room, and the fact that he _knew_ them, understood them. The bathroom had it's little quirks, and he'd miss them.

He exited the bathroom, nervous again.

His last day. God, what would he do now? Where would he work? What would exam results be? Why had he not decided all of this months ago? Sure, George had already assured him a place at the WWW indefinitely, while he figured out what he wanted. But shouldn't he have some ambition? He was eighteen, and he should be happy about going off into the big bad world, not wishing he was eleven and just starting here.

Yet he was.

Jake was still asleep, he noted, and after quickly dressing, he started out of the dormitory, thinking that this was the last time he'd ever have breakfast at Hogwarts.

"I think I'm losing it." He muttered, entering the hall and forcing himself not to think it would be the last time he'd see the inside of it. The last time he'd look up at the impressive ceiling, sit at one of the huge tables and eat from golden plates. He scanned the table as he walked towards it, finding Victoire in the crowd. She looked up, met his eyes, then looked back down at her plate.

"Hi." He said, sitting opposite her and Holly. She didn't react, though Holly said hello. "Uh...Vee?"

"Mmm?" She still didn't look up, toying with the food on her plate.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I...Just remembered something I have to do." She stood, and hurried from the hall.

"What've I done?" Teddy asked, looked at Holly in confusion.

"Duh." She rolled her eyes. "She's upset because you're leaving."

"But...it's not like I'll never see her again." Teddy said blankly. In all his thoughts about the castle, and the teachers and the friends he knew he wouldn't keep in touch with, he'd never considered Victoire - or Jake or Lainey or Holly, for that matter. Some people were too much a part of his life for him to think he'd lose them. And Victoire was far too important to him to lose.

"Yeah, but she's never been at Hogwarts without you." Holly shrugged. "She's scared about it, and she's upset that she's not going to be seeing you every day anymore."

"She told you this?" Teddy asked awkwardly. He had to fix this, he was sure of it. If only he knew how.

"She didn't have to." Holly murmured, her gaze beyond Teddy, watching her brother enter the hall. Teddy followed her gaze, and understood.

"Ah. Holly – you and Jake have always been close, that's not going to change. And he's going to miss you, you know." Teddy said uncomfortably. The whole comfort-thing wasn't his strong point. Holly offered him a smile, nodded.

"I know. You should go after Victoire."

Teddy nodded, sighed, and picked up a piece of toast before walking out.

"Hey." Jake said as they walked towards each other. "Victoire?"

"Yeah. Talk to your sister." Teddy replied as they passed each other. He paused in the entrance hall, not knowing where she'd be. And then he noticed that one of the front doors were open, and started out.

She was stood, leaning back against a tree, only a few feet away. He approached her slowly, still not knowing what he was going to say. She didn't turn, but spoke when he'd reached her.

"Guess Holly explained." She said quietly.

"Yeah. She did."

"Always was determined we wouldn't fall out. Made sure she'd fix things between us whenever they needed fixing. She was so convinced we'd end up...Well."

He shifted from on foot to the other, wondering what she'd been about to say before she'd cut herself off. "Uh, look, Vee. There's no need to be upset about this. We'll still see each other all the time. Holidays and stuff. I'll even come down to Hogsmeade on your weekends there. You're my best friend." It felt so strange to say the words - he couldn't remember saying it since he was about twelve.

She nodded, still with her back to him. "Yeah. I know. I'm fine, Ted, really. Go back and finish eating."

"No. You're still upset."

"Yeah. I am. You're leaving."

"I...I know." He shifted again, extremely uncomfortable now.

"Holly...Since we were about twleve, thirteen, Holly's been convinced me and you would end up together." She was talking very fast, as though either forcing herself to get to words out, or blurting them before she could stop herself. "At first I told her she was wrong, but after a while I started to think it, too. It made sense, and so I was just waiting for you to – to realise it, too." She shrugged, and he knew that her face would have gone red now. "I guess now it's too late for you to stop thinking of me like a sister."

At some point during her speech, his mouth had fallen open in surprise. And now he struggled to find words.

This was his chance, his one and only chance, the one he thought he'd never get, should never get.

"Last – last year, Jake said something - he was trying to wind me and, well, he said it was the only way he could think off to make me realise that I...Well he said you'd – what was it? Grown up hot." There was both faint amusement and left over annoyance in his voice.

Finally, she turned to him, looking surprised. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. I know. I, uh, hit him."

"What? Just because of that?"

"I didn't hit him _hard_." Teddy said, aware he sounded like a small child. "And he said he might, you know, ask you out."

"So you hit him?"

"It had been a long day. I was tired and irritable." Teddy replied defensively. "Can I get to the point of the story now?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead."

"Well, after I'd hit him, and he'd hit me back and, well, anyway. He said he'd said it to prove a point. Um, that he and Holly had known for months that I...This sounds so pathetic and childish." He said flatly. "He said they knew there was something between us, and it was about time I realised it to. And well, it worked, and I figured you'd be freaked or mad or something if I told you and I thought I should just wait and eventually it'd - it's stop and...and..."

In the doorway of the castle, Lainey, Jake and Holly were watching, in the way only close friends can get away with.

"They're gonna end up together, right?" Holly asked. "'Cause this has gone on for too long."

"Sure they – ah." Swiftly, Jake lifted a hand and covered her eyes.

"Jake -" She squirmed, trying to get away from him. "Come on, this is my best friend – I've seen people kiss before!"

"Jake, let her go." Lainey said, rolling her eyes and pulling his arm.

"Just so long as _you've_ never kissed anyone, sis." Jake said lightly, then glanced down at his sister, who simply smirked. "Wait – what? Who – when – no, actually, I don't want to know."

"We should get back inside." Lainey said. "Before Teddy and Victoire realise we've been watching them make out. Come on..."

--

"You saw them watching, right?" Victoire asked as she and Teddy walked back towards the castle.

"Yeah. It was a little weird, actually."

"Mmm, just a bit."

--

Several hours later, he jumped down from the train, one last time.

"Weird that we'll never ride that thing again." Jake said beside him. Fresh tears formed in Lainey's eyes.

"Come on, it's not all bad." Jake said, slinging an arm over her shoulders. "You can't cry again, 'cause Teddy'll cry too."

"Hey!"

Lainey laughed, nodded, and swiped at her eyes. "So long as you promise you'll keep in touch. Both of you."

"Course." Jake nodded. "Don't worry so much. You'll get wrinkles or something." He squeezed her shoulders; Teddy noticed a look pass between them that made him wonder...

"This is it, then." Holly said, looking sad herself. She looked at Teddy and Lainey. "We're gonna miss you guys."

"What about me?" Jake put in.

"Huh. You'll stick around. I've been trying to get rid of you since I was three. It's impossible."

"That's not true – she loved me at the three. It was five that it all stopped." Jake said, then looked around the group. "We're all gonna do the hugging thing, aren't we?" He said unenthusiastically.

"I'm not hugging you." Teddy replied flatly.

"Thank God for that." Jake replied, smirking. "We don't really need to do the hugging thing – we'll all see reach other again soon..."

"It's symbolic." Lainey replied, rolling her eyes, she stepped forward and hugged Holly, then Victoire.

"Write to me, 'K? Both of you."

"Will do." Victoire replied, as Holly nodded. Victoire hugged Jake, Lainey hugged Teddy; then Teddy hugged Holly as Lainey hugged Jake.

"You're still meeting me and Ted next week in Diagon Alley, aren't you?" Jake murmured to Lainey, who nodded. "'K. Good." He released her, looked at Teddy. "Guess I'll see you next week, then."

"Just hug will you?" Holly said impatiently, pushing her brother forward. One quick, guy-hug later, the group split up, heading their separate ways to their families.

"We're gonna stay together, right?" Victoire asked Teddy as they wondered towards the Weasleys and his grandma. "When I'm at Hogwarts and you're...not."

"Course we are." He stopped, faced her. "Don't worry about that, OK?"

"OK."

"You never know." Teddy shrugged. "We might just live happily ever after."

She raised her eyebrows, amused.

"Maybe we will."


End file.
